Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 5

The sun blazes brightly, and the earth seems to glow in a pale white hue. Despite the forest beside them, not a hint of coolness can be felt. It’s as if a fire burns before them, distorting the air.

The once fertile land has turned into sand that crumbles at the slightest touch.

Wu Yan leans against a tree trunk, his lips black and cracked. He chews a piece of hay slowly, his eyes staring vacantly into the distance. The woman sits beside him, holding her half-grown child. Neither of them speaks, like three lifeless figures.

To conserve energy, they haven’t spoken for a long time. In fact, they’ve almost forgotten how to speak.

Cao’er’s mother quietly approaches them. The family’s eyes stiffly turn toward her. She ignores them and leans closer to whisper in the man’s ear.

Wu Yan, who has been staring blankly, suddenly brightens. He opens his mouth in disbelief, but after several attempts, only a hoarse “ah” sound comes out.

Wu Yan hasn’t spoken in a long time, and when he finally tries to speak, he forgets what to say.

Cao’er’s mother emphasizes again in a low voice, “Tonight, at dusk, follow me into the woods.”

After seeing Wu Yan nod, Cao’er’s mother hides behind a tree to wait a moment before heading toward another family, using the cover of the tree trunk.

Mother and daughter act independently, not wasting words or offering food. Even so, these people can’t help but believe them, even if it’s just empty talk.

Ye Zhou, who has been hiding in the woods, feels a sense of relief when he sees Cao’er and her mother stop their actions and sit together, waiting for dusk to arrive.

He does his best not to look at the other refugees. Every time he glances at them, his sympathy grows, and if he keeps looking, his rationality will be overwhelmed.

Time passes slowly. Each minute feels stretched, dragging on endlessly.

Ye Zhou drinks half a bottle of water throughout the afternoon, but he still feels incredibly thirsty, his lips so dry they’re almost cracked.

The refugees have managed to survive up until now, lacking food and water. Their resilience can’t even be described as mere resilience.

As dusk begins to fall, the temperature drops a few degrees, but the change is barely noticeable. The wind blowing from the woods feels hot.

The more the wind blows, the hotter it seems.

Soon, someone staggers toward the woods.

The other refugees don’t even look at them.

Cao’er and her mother lead the way, and Ye Zhou finally gets a close look at the group of people who are supposed to work at the supermarket.

They see Ye Zhou as well.

Ye Zhou wears a cold expression, trying to maintain an aloof and cool demeanor. He doesn’t speak to the refugees, simply nodding slightly to Cao’er’s mother before turning and walking into the depths of the woods.

Behind him, the refugees stand in panic, looking at Cao’er’s mother as though asking for help.

Wu Yan’s voice is hoarse, and he has to stop and rest after speaking a few words, “Does the Lord Immortal… not think we’re worthy of your help?”

Cao’er answers, “If the Lord Immortal didn’t drive you away, it means he is interested!”

Cao’er’s mother glares at her and pinches her arm before turning to the refugees and saying, “The Lord Immortal is merciful, but he is neither your mother nor your father. What, do you need him to ask if you’re cold or hungry?”

The group of refugees shakes their heads repeatedly.

There are eight adult men, six elderly people, four women, six children aged five to ten, and a baby in the group.

They support each other, trudging forward with difficulty.

Though it’s already night, they still have to walk a distance before they can rest.

When night fully falls, the refugees stop in place. In the fading light, they can barely see, and they have to rely on one another to keep moving forward. Now, it’s completely dark, and they’re completely “blind,” unable to even see the people next to them.

Then, a white light suddenly illuminates the area, like a lightning bolt that lingers.

Someone screams briefly, and Cao’er’s mother immediately shouts, “This is the Lord Immortal’s power! Don’t make a sound!”

The refugees gaze fearfully toward the light.

The light isn’t firelight, but it illuminates the area as brightly as daylight.

The beam from the powerful flashlight is unlike any regular flashlight. Ye Zhou is shocked the first time he turns it on. If the sky weren’t still dark, it would have been indistinguishable from daytime.

Ye Zhou leads the way in front, with Cao’er and her mother and the refugees slowly following behind.

After two or three hours, Ye Zhou stops.

He turns around and waves to Cao’er’s mother, who has been walking in front of the refugees.

Ye Zhou feels that Cao’er’s mother, being older and more knowledgeable, is more reliable than Cao’er, the young girl.

Cao’er’s mother runs over quickly.

“Lord Immortal, please give me your orders,” she says, lowering her head. Though she’s thin, she speaks sharply and energetically.

Ye Zhou whispers, “Let’s rest here. You distribute the supplies. Each family can get one bottle of water and one bag of biscuits.”

Cao’er’s mother takes the backpack from him. “I understand.”

Ye Zhou nods, watching as she walks over to distribute the supplies.

On the way back, Ye Zhou decides to stay away from the crowd.

This is the only way to maintain the identity he has created for himself.

“You sit down first,” Cao’er’s mother returns to the refugees and then turns to Cao’er. “Go gather some firewood and make a fire. Pile up stones to prevent the grass nearby from catching fire.”

Cao’er nods.

She has always listened to her mother, and even when her father was alive, it was her mother who handled all the important matters at home.

Now that her father is gone, she needs to listen to her mother even more.

After Cao’er’s mother instructs the refugees to sit down, she takes out the bottles of mineral water from the backpack and hands them to the men of each family to see how they will divide it.

Several men hold the bottles. They stare at the transparent containers in surprise, noticing the blue “paper” wrapped around the middle.

It isn’t the usual straw paper, nor the rice paper landlords use. It’s smooth to the touch but not oil paper.

This isn’t paper they can find in the world.

Cao’er’s mother takes the bottle of water from Wu Yan’s dazed hand, unscrews the cap in front of everyone, and hands it back to him. “See? This is how the Lord Immortal’s water is opened.” She tears open the package of compressed biscuits. “This stuff fills the stomach; one piece is enough for each person.”

Wu Yan takes the biscuit from Cao’er’s mother and immediately puts it in his mouth. He doesn’t seem to notice how dry his mouth is. He chews and swallows it without tasting anything.

But the feeling of having food in his mouth is a relief.

Wu Yan closes his eyes. The moment the food enters his mouth, tears well up in his eyes. However, there are too few tears, and even as he closes his eyes, they don’t fall.

The woman bites off a piece of biscuit, chews it carefully, and feeds it to the child in her arms.

The child, comforted, eats a little and slowly drifts off to sleep.

Around the campfire, the refugees huddle together, the flames dancing gently. The elderly and children quickly fall asleep; a small amount of food is enough to soothe their bodies and spirits, lulling them into rest despite the exhaustion.

The young men and women, however, remain awake.

“I’ll keep watch,” Wu Yan says after finishing the last piece of biscuit. Though he has only eaten two pieces, he feels slightly full.

Another man coughs and, after savoring a sip of water, offers, “I’ll do it if you’re tired.”

The men quickly assign watch shifts, though none of them sleep. They can’t help but steal glances at the fire not far away.

There is a small fire burning in the distance. It’s clear to them that the figure sitting by the fire is the Lord Immortal.

Cao’er’s mother sits with the refugees. She stirs the fire and, noticing everyone staring at the distant fire, speaks in a low voice, “The Lord Immortal has great powers. He knows everything. Don’t harbor any inappropriate thoughts. I’m only saying this for your own good.”

Cao’er adds, “The Lord Immortal even knows what we’re thinking!”

Ever since the Lord Immortal told her to just eat when she is feeling hungry, Cao’er has believed that the Lord Immortal can read everyone’s thoughts.

Seeing that her mother doesn’t stop her, Cao’er excitedly continues, “The Lord Immortal can make anything appear! He blows a breath of immortal air, and he can turn giant stones into houses. With a flick of his hand, he can create an immortal lantern.”

The refugees, illiterate and uneducated, listen with wide eyes as Cao’er speaks, their expressions growing brighter with each word.

A woman whispers, “Is the Lord Immortal going to teach us to cultivate?”

Who wouldn’t want to stay young forever, never aging or dying?

Cao’er’s mother’s face changes. She sharply rebukes the woman, saying, “Pah! You think you’re worthy?!”

The woman recoils, shrinking behind her husband. He doesn’t dare to face Cao’er’s mother directly, only looking down at the fire.

Cao’er’s mother sneers. “What are we? Don’t think too highly of yourself! The Lord Immortal saved our lives. That was his mercy. Cultivation? Even the emperor hasn’t become an immortal, so how could it be our turn?” She turns to the refugees, her tone growing stern. “If any of you dare to do something that angers the Lord Immortal and brings harm to us, then none of us will have a good life!”

The refugees quickly reply, “We dare not, we will never dare.”

Cao’er’s mother snorts coldly and falls silent.

Though she knows the Lord Immortal is merciful and willing to save people, she is also certain that he isn’t a god without temper.

From childhood, she has heard stories of immortals who can wield divine power—immortals who can save with a gesture or bring ruin with a frown. When an immortal is angry, they can unleash massive waves, flood the mountains, and destroy everything in their path.

Cao’er’s mother believes the Lord Immortal is one of these gods. She just wants to please him and, out of fear, dares not offend him.

She is also worried that if others offend him, she will surely be implicated.

Ye Zhou sits by the fire, eating his share of compressed biscuits. These biscuits are much better than before, offering a variety of flavors and aren’t as dry.

“I should have brought some peach cakes,” Ye Zhou thinks, sipping some water.

With so many people, there is no room for everyone to sleep in the staff dormitory. He guesses they will have to sleep in the warehouse instead. Fortunately, the warehouse is empty, and there is enough space for everyone. The central air conditioning and windows make it comfortable, and they won’t be suffocated by the heat.

Ye Zhou leans against a tree trunk and gazes up at the night sky. There is no industrial pollution here, and the stars are visible, unclouded. Yet, Ye Zhou doesn’t feel the beauty of it.

He has worked hard to open a supermarket, but now, he finds himself stranded here before it even opens. He has taken on a large loan, and he isn’t sure when he will be able to make things work.

He wonders what his parents are doing, and whether time flows the same in his world as it does here.

He doesn’t know when he falls asleep.

But it seems he hasn’t slept deeply, as even the slightest sound wakes him up.

When the sun rises, he is immediately wide awake.

When they come, Ye Zhou and Cao’er’s mother and her daughter have walked for five days; returning, however, only takes three.

Perhaps it is the flashlight they use on the way back that makes the journey seem shorter.

When leaving, he isn’t sure if there are people around, but coming back, he is certain that the deeper parts of the forest are empty.

Although they are rushing, the “employees” seem to be in much better spirits than when they sat outside the forest earlier.

Upon arriving at the supermarket, Ye Zhou walks in front of them. It is the first time Ye Zhou appears before them up close.

During the journey, he has kept his distance from the refugees, walking ahead alone. But now, as he reaches the supermarket doors, he breathes a sigh of relief.

When Ye Zhou reaches the supermarket door, he sighs in relief, but when he turns around, he is startled by the scene before him.

—Though it isn’t the first time he has seen it.

Everyone is kneeling before him.

These ragged people have their foreheads pressed firmly against the ground, prostrating themselves like they are worshiping a god. Their shoulder blades nearly break through their tattered clothes, an image both heartbreaking and humbling.

Though he hasn’t come here voluntarily, nor has he actively sought to save anyone, it seems he has… done a good deed after all.